Housing for laundry tub units



B. E. MUSTEE HOUSING FOR LAUNDRY TUB UNITS Jan. 3, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 25, 1950 will.

Fig.

INVENTOR.

BERNARD E. MUSTEE WWW/M Jan. 3, 1956 B. E. MUSTEE 2,729,530

HOUSING FOR LAUNDRY TUB UNITS Filed March 25, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /0 F ig. 5

IN VEN TOR.

BERNARD E. MUS TEE MM CM/ZJ/M United States PatentO HOUSING FOR LAUNDRY TUB UNITS Bernard E. Mustee, Cleveland, Ohio Application March 25, 1950, Serial No. 151,882

6 Claims. (Cl. 312-228) This invention relates to laundry equipment in general, and relates more specifically to a cabinet for enclosing stationary laundry tub units.

The primary object of this invention is to beautify laundry tubs at a reasonable cost, with a kit of parts any home dweller can install easily and quickly with simple tools.

A particular object of this invention is to provide a sheet metal tub cabinet adjustable to snug tightly to any standard stationary laundry tub unit regardless of small size differences between units made by different manufacturers, to thereby provide a rigid resistance to deformation and drumming.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved strip anchor nut system for assembling panels of a tub cabinet, wherein a series of anchor nut grips may be placed beyond the reach of the installer without the expense of using blind rivets.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a laundry tub cabinet incorporating the features of this invention;

Figure 2 is a top view of the cabinet illustrated in Figure 1;.

Figure 3 is a side view of the cabinet, with the position of conventional laundry tubs illustrated by dotted lines within the cabinet;

Figure 4 is a sectional view along line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an exploded view of the corner construction between front and side panels permitting position adjustment in a flat plane; and,

Figure 6 is a section along line 6-6 of Figure l illustrating the improved telescoping adjustment construction of the front and side panels, and the strip-like anchor.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings illustrate substantially the outside appearance and design of a cabinet for laundry tubs incorporating the improved features of this invention, whereas the remaining figures of the drawings illustrate the details of construction. This cabinet has been designed for installation by the home owner with a minimum of the simplest tools, and is constructed for simplicity in order that any person with a minimum of mechanical skill can accomplish a perfect assembly job with ease.

The cabinet comprises basically a front panel 10 with end panels 11 joined together to form a front and side enclosure for laundry tubs. The Figures 1 and 2 indicate that the illustrated embodiment is designed for the double type of stationary laundry tubs normally found in basement laundries, but it will of course be understood that a single tub can be provided with the illustrated type of cover by the simple expedient of having a front panel 10 of only half the. illustrated width. Lids 13 complete the cabinet and provide a flat table top surface in addition .to covering the unsightly stationary tubs.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention provides ice the solution for making a universal kit which will fit substantially all stationary tubs regardless of their age. It has been found that virtually all stationary tubs will vary only within a matter of /2 inch or less. However, this variation in length from side to side of the tubs made by various manufacturers would necessitate making the cabinet over-sized to take care of all size stationary tubs. Such over-sized cabinet is very undesirable because the side panels are preferably made of relatively light gauge metal for economic and weight reasons, and accordingly would then be unsupported and have a considerable drum effect unless braced on the inside. Bracing of course increases cost considerably.

In the illustrated embodiment of this invention, the front panel 10 is made with flat edge areas, but the side panels 11 are provided with end flanges or corner portions 19. A series of longitudinally extending slots 20 are provided in the edge area of the front panel 10 as best illustrated in the Figure 5 of the drawings. The screw head locations in Figure 1 illustrate the number of such slots required, but the Figure 5 will illustrate the preferable length of the slots. Usually /2 to inch slots will suifice. The flange 19 is provided with small round holes, but a screw or bolt passing therethrough will not stop lateral movement of the side panels 111 with respect to the front panel 10 because of the elongated slots 20. Accordingly, it will be seen that the front panel 10 may be placed in position in front of a unit of stationary tubs and side panels 11 preliminarily assembled thereto. Thereafter the side panels 11 may be forced tightly against the lateral side surfaces of the stationary tubs and then the side panels and front panel tightly bolted into permanent position. Thus the sides of the stationary tubs give good solid support to the side panels 11.

An improved joining method has been developed as part of this invention for securing the side panels 11 and the front panel 10 in the properly located position. The panels of course must be assembled upon the stationary tubs if the best tight fit is to be obtained. However, once the panels are fitted upon the stationary tubs a very diflicult problem arises in providing an anchor means of any type, such as a conventional nut on the back surface of the panels, because of the inaccessible position due to lack of internal room. A strip nut anchor member 21 has been provided having a series of holes longitudinally spaced therealong to register with the longitudinal slots 20 in the panel 10. These openings in the anchor member 21 may be tapped to engage a conventional screw, or may be small to admit'a self-threading sheet metal screw. Two doors 30 are provided in the front panel 10 for placing objects within the cabinet for storage and for inspection, repairing and cleaning under the stationary tubs.

The front panel 10 is provided with a top flange 17 as best illustrated in Figure 5. Furthermore, the end panels 11 are provided with top flanges 18 as also illustrated in Figure 5. The side panels 11, prior to bending the flanges 19 thereon, are notched at the corner in order to eliminate the provision of the flange 18 in the corner area. The flange 18 is removed a distance from the corner at least equal to the width of the top flange 17 on the front panel 10. Therefore, the top flange 17 will project into the space thus vacated in the side panel 11 and provide a substantially continuous top flange area around the top and side panels without any overlap and double thickness areas. It has been found that this improved corner construction is especially desirable in this invention in order to provide a neat construction as Well as a desirable water seal union between the cabinet and the stationary tubs. The cabinet panels 10 and 11 preferably do not sit upon the floor supporting the stationary tubs, but are made shorter to provide ventilating and toe space under the panels. The top flanges 17 and 18 therefore suspend the cabinet along the of. the stationary tubs. Again, it will be seen that exact adjustment of the lateral width of the cabinet to exactly correspond with the length of the tubsis" therefore important to provide good support of the cabinetupon the tubst A combined sealing gasket and edge bumper 28 has beelrproi'rided to cover thecor-ner between the panels and the top flanges and also to return under the top flanges and provide asoftrubber cushion between the top flanges and the edge of the stationary tubs. The weight of the cabinet, combined with the flushcorner joint construction illustrated in Figure 5", will thus permit the rubber in the seal 28' to be evenly pressed completely around the edges of the tub and prevent Water seepage from running down the interior of the panels.

A tie rod of simple channeled form is provided to bridge across the back lower'edges of the sidepanels 11 and hold "the side panels in proper spaced relationship. The depth of the side panels is unimportant and is made long enough to extend back further than any standard laundry tub in order to completely enclose all laundry tubs en countered.

The upper portion of the back areas of the side panels 11 is held rigidly spaced by the provision of a tie rod 26 which also serves as a hinge for the lids I3. Brackets 27 are secured to the top back areas of the side panels 11 and the tie rod 26 is held engaged with the bracket 27 by set screws 22. The brackets 27, as best illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings, are designed to position the tie rod 26 slightly forward of the rear Wall of the stationary tubs, and a small notch is cut in the back edge of the side panels 11. This provision is made for some types of laundry tubs having a soap tray 24 as an integral part thereof. In Figure 3 of the drawings the position of such a soap tray is indicated by dotted lines, because such soap trays are an exception to the general construction. Accordingly, this soap tray 24 is not illustrated in other views of'the drawings.

Although normally the suspended nature of the cabinet upon the edge of the laundry tubs will hold the cab-, inet in position, children climbing upon the cabinet, and other types of accidental forces, might cause the cabmet to move. Rearward movement is impossible, of course, because of the top front edge of the tubs contacting the front panel 11. However, there is no similar contact between the cabinet and tubs to hold the cabinet against forward movement. Accordingly, an anchor angle 33 has been provided to interlock the side panels with the stationary tubs. The anchor angle 33 comprises a vertical angle iron 34 and a horizontal angle iron 35 welded together to form an L-shaped member. Vertically extending slots 36 are provided in the side panels 11, and longitudinally extending slots 36A are provided in the horizontal angle 35. Therefore, the anchor angle 33 may be preliminarily assembled onto the side panel 11 by passing suitable screws or bolts therethrough, and thereafter the freedom of movement provided by the slots at right angles will permit lateral and vertical shifting of the anchor angle 33 until firm engagement of both the angle irons 34 and 35 is made with the bottom and back of the stationary tub. In order to make as many parts interchangeable as possible, a duplicate set of vertical slots 36 has been provided in the side panels 11 in order that the side panels may be interchangeable and avoid the possibility of assembling the cabinet and thereafter finding that the side panels have been placed on the wrong side.

Although the invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understoodfthat the present disclosure of the preferred 'form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed l. A housing attachment for a cast composition type laundry tub unit comprising, a front panel section and two side Wall panel sections, said side wall panel sections having corner flanges to lap with respect to said front panel section for lateral spacing of the end wall panel sections to a selected distance. apart while remaining engaged with the front panel section, means. for securing said corners of the panel sections together in a selected relative position, and adjustable position anchor means carried by said side wall panels to lock the housing with a laundry tub unit, including anchor members carried by said side wall panels for holding the housing fixed with respect to said tub unit, said anchor members having spaced longitudinal slots therethrough, said slots extending in a first direction, longitudinal slots in said side panels spaced to register with said slots in the anchor members and extending in a direction transverse to the slots in said anchor members, and bolt means passing through each of the registering slots in the panel and anchor members.

2'. A housing. attachment for a cast composition type laundry tub unit comprising, a front panel section and two side wall panel sections, said side wall panel sections having corner flanges. to lap with respect to said front panel section for lateral spacing of the end wall panel sections to a selected distance apart while remaining engaged with the front panel section, one of said panels at each corner having lateral extending elongated slots, the other panel having an. opening registering with each of. said slots, securing means extending through each said registering slot and opening combination and .securing said panel sections together in a selected relative position, and adjustable position anchor means carried by said side wall panelsto lock the housing with a laundry tub unit, including anchor members carried by said side wall panels for holding the housing fixed with respect to said tub unit, said anchor members having spaced longitudinal slots therethrough, said slots extending in a first direction, longitudinal slots in said side panels spaced to register with said slots in the anchor members and extending in a direction transverse to the slots in said anchor members, and bolt means passing through each of theregistering slots in the panel and anchor members.

3. A housing attachment for a cast composition type laundry tub unit comprising, a front panel section and two side wall panel sections, said side wall panel sections having corner flanges to lap with respect to said front panel section for lateral spacing of the end wall panel sections to a selected distance apart while remaining engaged with the front panel section, one of said panels at each corner having laterally extending elongated slots, the other panel having an opening registering with each of said slots, at strip anchor member having a plurality of screw engaging openings therethrough longitudinally spaced to register with said registering screw openings, said strip may be manually held at an accessible place and extended to a remote inaccessible place inside said housing and thereafter engaged by a screw passing through said register openings in said front and side panels, and adjustable position anchor means carried by said side Wall panels to lock the housing with a laundry tub unit, including anchor members carried by said side wall panels for holding the housing fixed with respect to said tub unit, said anchor members having spaced longitudinal slots therethrough, said slots extending in a first direction, longitudinal slots in said side panels spaced to register with said slots in the anchor members and extending in a direction transverse to the slots in said anchor members, and bolt, means passing through each of the registering slots in the panel and anchor members.

4. A housing attachment for a cast composition type laundry tub unit comprising, a front panel section, first and second side panel sections, said first and second side wall panel sections each having a horizontally and vertically extending interference surface device to extend under and behind a laundry tub unit and prevent upwardly and forward movement of the housing with respect to said tub unit, means to hold said horizontally and vertically ex* tending device in a selected elevational and lateral adjustment position, whereby the horizontally and vertically extending device may be moved into snug contact with the bottom and back edge of said tub unit after the housing is in operative position.

5. A housing attachment for a cast composition type laundry tub unit comprising, a front panel section and two side wall panel sections, and adjustable position anchor means carried by said side wall panels to lock the housing with a laundry tub unit, including anchor members carried by said side wall panels for holding the housing fixed with respect to said tub unit, said anchor members having spaced longitudinal slots therethrough, said slots extending in a first direction, longitudinal slots in said side panels spaced to register with said slots in the anchor members and extending in a direction transverse to the slots in said anchor members, and bolt means passing through each of the registering slots in the panel and anchor members.

6. In combination, a free standing laundry tub structure, a housing attachment functionally separate from said tub structure, said housing being relatively light in Weight in comparison to said tub structure and having front and side panel sections to wrap around the front and lateral sides of said tub structure, said side panel sections each having a horizontally extending interference surface device to extend under said tub structure and prevent upward movement of the housing with respect to said tub structure, and means carried by each said side panel to fix said horizontally extending device in a selected elevational adjustment position, whereby the horizontally extending device may be moved and fixed into snug contact with the bottom of said tub structure after the housing is in operative position and thereby provide the gravitational holding force of the tub structure for holding the housing attachment against relative movement with respect to the laundry tub structure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 113,031 Baer et al. Jan. 24, 1939 483,948 Smart Oct. 4, 1892 954,121 Matter Apr. 5, 1910 1,375,144 Frantz Apr. 19, 1921 1,734,568 Elters Nov. 5, 1929 1,789,102 Jorgensen Ian. 13, 1931 1,796,024 Hohler Mar. 10, 1931 1,853,989 Neubel Apr. 12, 1932 1,869,548 DeRienzo Aug. 2, 1932 1,970,945 Rypinski Aug. 21, 1934 2,028,058 Geyer Jan. 14, 1936 2,074,780 Demcak Mar. 23, 1937 2,265,693 Knight Dec. 9, 1941 2,287,657 Wisckol June 23, 1942 2,323,589 Freshman July 6, 1943 2,409,528 Baunach Oct. 15, 1946 2,426,152 Meldahl Aug. 19, 1947 2,565,129 Hermani Aug. 21, 1951 

